Croque monsieur

Aaah, Bastille Day. What better excuse to indulge in yummy French delights?! Perhaps a chocolate croissant and ripe berries for le petit déjeuner? Or a devilishly decadent and cheesy croque monsieur for déjeuner? Oui—Now we're talking. And je voudrai a nice champagne with that too, s'il vous plaît. Smokey black forest ham and gruyere cheese melted between buttered and grilled bread, then slathered with a gooey béchamel sauce (with a hint of bay leaf, a whisper of nutmeg), sprinkled with more cheese (Ooh la la!) and melted under the broiler until it bubbles... Mmm... trés magnifique!

This sandwich starts as a grilled ham and cheese, then a cheesy béchamel sauce is melted on top. I add a thin smear of a good dijon mustard inside. The brightness of the mustard is a nice counterpoint to the fatty butter and cheese.

We enjoyed our Bastille day croque monsieur with a sweet

and tart grilled tomato, sprinkled with lemon thyme.

Add a fried egg on top to make a croque madame.
We enjoyed this croque madame last winter
with a frisee and green apple salad.